Cobalt Sunset

...saw a picture of one of the little girlies killed by the Cobalt ignition switch failure. Obviously, that got me all passionate. The above is a picture of the car that took her life.
Makes ya wanna go out and buy a GM? That commercial for the Vega... In 1971, corporate GM presented the Bow Tie Division with the package to build the car. The Vega is the end of GM, the Penn Central Rail scandal of '74 the funeral procession. Yea, I know... you have to take my word on these things...

Cobalt Sunset
I don't know a lot about the specifics, but what you've presented is an intriguing and forceful comment on what's happening in the world. Strong blend of music and commentary. Powerful work, Daug.

World News
Hello Philip thank you for the encouragement. The picture of the girl is really what started this thing...
The red sports car... The myth. And the reality. Tragedy has become the stock and trade.

Hello Sam
What an interesting comment! That piano solo there, how about that cameo! The most casual piano solo piece in history, re-interpreted live. I learned to play that piece originally from the guy who lived next door to my cousin, that was in 1966. He was drafted, sent to Vietnam, and died in combat. Dick Chaney got five deferments during the draft, wonderful? When I play the piece, I can recall the guy. I can see him throwing a football on the lawn and eating burgers at BBQ parties. The strong emotional connection with that song is why I chose to put it into this piece as a cameo. The same emotional connection was engendered by the description of the girl in the picture I saw as told by her mother.
Your turn my friend.

Current Events
The tangled web of corporate politics is nicely portrayed in this complex sound collage.

I love these kind of compositions - at both historical and contemporary at once.

Supposedly the bad guys in the ignition switch debacle have been fired, but whether that will lead to improved safety and accountability .. or whether they are scapegoats for fraud that is endemic to the system .. remains to be seen.

Your work, as usual provokes thought!
"I learned to play that piece originally from the guy who lived next door to my cousin, that was in 1966..."

This subplot, and others comments drew me to listen. I wanted to hear the piano part you learned - that has lived in you - created by someone who died - in a war created by the "Dicks" of the world. This is stressful content.
But then, there's an emotional content to the piece that's manifested in a "casual piano solo" taught by someone you recall having watched toss footballs and downing burgers...

Hey Lvzak!
Somehow you are tagging along on Warren's comment. I learned the white bread version of the thing first. It was 25 years before I could make the substitutions and alternations heard in this version, which by the way I can't reproduce exactly... because I can't seem to play anything twice in the same manner. That is a choice I made a longtime ago and I whole heartily recommend to everyone. By the way the same progression starts the entire piece. It's played on the guitar in the "I Believe" bit in the right channel. During the Vega commercial. A sneaky re-invention appears in the mallet accompaniment as well. Ya got to re-cycle.
Thanks for commenting.

informational
the evidence is overwheling mr. daug, you are one intriguing artist. this song is yet another fine portrayal of everyday greed, hatred, and delusion, only nowadays these characteristics of our modern society exist on an institutional level. apparently the cost of the problematic ignition switch was less than 60 cents! it's clear our corporations and govenment are overrun with sociopaths. now what?

Ah, my mysterious friend
Allow me to suggest, in my research for this experience I was able to watch a presentation which depicted a spring, like coiled wire, less than half an inch long identified as the culprit. If this small spring had been designed with just two more turns on it, the part would have acted appropriately in the assembly. The ignition of these cars would not have failed. The air bags would have worked in a collision and the many girlies killed by this thing would still be alive.
Ten years GM fought against the recall. They got away with murder, and they have for years and years.

Hello <
I recall driving around in a custom blue pinto; Ford 302, mag wheels that a friend of mine had... There was an 8 track player in that car... The Penn Rail scandal stems from a stock swindle involving GM union employees who owned railway stock. The railroad(s) were declared an unviable business model by a government panel. The railways were nationalized by the administration. You will see parallels with the current government takeover of health care. Our socialist friends are not creative... they run the same scam over and over... Until there is no one with money to go after...

Cobalt Sunset
Many corporations claim to be ethically and socially responsible global citizens but the need to maintain a minimum bottom line tends to place severe strain on their resolve. Layers of management (and layers of lawyers) seem to always shroud and diminish their ultimate culpability when they are found to have done the wrong thing. It is what they cover up and get away with that is possibly more troubling. Fine musical exposé, Daug. I really like the groove you established and the ending was (musically) cool. Thanks, Peter.

Hello Peter
You bring up an interesting point about the lawyers. GM has a policy where settlements of 5 million dollars and below are not reported to corporate. This was the mechanism GM used to hide from the need to recall the car for ten years. This came out in testimony before Congress. This too is accepted and we simply move on to the next item. What is the obvious remedy for this process which has been going on for at least 50 years? Lawyers? Pitchforks? How about if we simply starve the people which serve the beast?

Hello Rick
Thanks but too much, i was trying to make the point! The picture of the girl got me angry. The mom's description of the situation made me angrier still. No one on the news plays the GM CEO explaining how important China is to GM? Doesn't fit their template. The news won't generate the context to understand how the company merely avoided the recall issue on these cars.
Wonder if folks will act? I do too. Thanks for checking in, I got the phat head now.

Groove!
Really digging the unexpected shuffle that kicks in at the :39 mark. Many changes in tone here....not to mention competing demands on my attention. Interesting question that occurred to me: why is it easier to listen to people singing than people talking? After all, singing is more complex, no?
I'll take a download to see if I can figgur it out.
Cheers,

Hello Mr. IP help on the way!
Ah, if something is interesting, listen? Lol. Everything means something all the time... depends on perspective? :)
Here's a thought for ya, since 1980 the commercial vocals increasingly feature vowel sounds... The substance of the lyrics matter less and less going forward. Lyrics then exist as a venue for youthful voices to sing a,e,i,o and u sounds. Just a new style in vocals? No way! Lyrics, previously dominated popular music and were then neatly undermined. Next came what commercial wave? Rap. The self-righteous celebration of vacant popular culture in coarsely metered verse. Meaningful discourse in our culture through popular music became passé, dumbed down. Especially in the mediums where youthful minds might be reached.

Yes Fergie I have been here since the place opened.
In fall 2009, I erased the 60+ tunes I had posted since day one. The community here had changed, becoming hateful and repressive, and I needed to respond appropriately.
What happened?... [see more]